SB1518

THE CONTEXT: Irrigation Grandfathered Right (IGFR) An IGFR is associated with land within an AMA that was legally irrigated with groundwater between January 1, 1975 and January 1, 1980, or the five years prior to the designation of a subsequent AMA and has not been retired from irrigation for non-irrigation use. To irrigate means to grow crops for sale, human consumption or livestock or poultry feed by applying water on two or more acres (A.

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would allow an owner of an IGFR in a subsequent AMA to sell, use, transfer or lease the right and the water duty associated with those acres, authorize the owner of an IGFR, that did not irrigate a set portion of lands attached to the IGFR, to sell, transfer or lease the associated water duty of the non-irrigated acres, and allow the original owner of the associated water duty to use the full volume of the water duty that is attached to the acres that the owner does not irrigate anywhere on the farm unit.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to give Arizonans and public officials a defined option for subsequent amas under state law. It would allow an owner of an IGFR in a subsequent AMA to sell, use, transfer or lease the right and the water duty associated with those acres, and would also authorize the owner of an IGFR, that did not irrigate a set portion of lands attached to the IGFR, to sell, transfer or lease the associated water duty of the non-irrigated acres, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.